Daughter of the Dead Part 3

Daughter of the Dead

Case 1

Part 3

Draft 3

By: Chase L. Currie

Deathead moon was in the Free Zone, outside all the Kingdoms of all the races and was a haven for every cutthroat, pirates, and ex-soldiers to live. It was a moon near a green gas giant called XT-304 causing the moon to glow an eerie sage. There were three cities build underground of the cosmic bullseye in the Free Zone, the only safe places on the moon. If safe is what you would call them.

                The biggest city was called Pallin ruled by the Lizard People and at war with the next city called Kaukia, home to the Dark Elves. The last city on this floating rock of hell was the city of Eldest ruled by Humans and Orcs and the main city for pirates. A place Icarus hoped he did not have to go.

                Icarus docked his ship the Otr in the city of Pallin hoping his job would be quick and easy. He wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time in this hellish place. A place he hated before he left the Paladins and the hate has not changed one bit over the years.

                The elevator slowly descended to the check-in as Icarus put the eight-inch knife in its sheath along the horizontally bottom of his back. He made sure his dark brown leather coat covered the blade so no one could see the weapon. A scan would pick up the blade, but he wasn't worried about it. Some weapons were still allowed in most of the cities. It was like these places had laws or laws which was enforced by anyone. It was the only weapon he carried on any mission, and hopefully, he wouldn’t have to use it.

                The doors open to two robots pointing their laser cannons at him with a fat lizard staring him down. At the foot of the half crocodile man with chameleon eyes was a chained goblin acting much like a dog. The Lizard people like to keep them as pets while the other races ate them for cheap dinners.

                “I.D card,” the lizardman hissed. Icarus gives him the card as the monster stuck it into his reader. The reader turned green with the lizard asking, “Guild affiliation?”

                “Independent,” he said taking his card back.

                The lizard cocked an eyebrow at him and then said, “You can only enter Guilds for busy then.”

                Icarus smirked up at him and said, “That’s why I am here.” He walked passed the lizard not waiting for him to give him the go-ahead when one of the robots followed him until he made it the door and pressed the button to open it.

                The doors open to the bright neon lights of the clubs and shops with all the races pushing their way through the still canyons of the disgusting city. The Lizard people were not known for being tidiness race among the worlds. The smell of food, smoke, and piss flooded Icarus’s nose causing him to snort from a little from the overwhelming reaction to everything. The noise in the city was almost deafening knocking him for a loop as his ears cried from the sounds. He gathered his composure trying to act fine. People poured out of the bars drunk or bloody from fights. A few cars flew overhead with some of them being from the Lizard army ruling over the city, but Icarus didn’t care.

                He pushed through the crowd heading for one of the streets looking a taxi. He stepped to the sidewalk seeing an ugly Orc eyeing him with his only good eye. The old wounds from the Green Wars still sat between the two races and Icarus wonder if he killed any of the Orc’s clan, and then he questions himself if the Orc killed any of his friends.

                Icarus tapped the strength rune on his left arm as soon as the Orc looked as he was coming his way, but a lovely dark elf pulled the green giant away into the crowd. He sighed with relief at the fight that never came. He wasn’t ready to get his knuckles bloody even if it is with an Orc.

                A yellow taxi landed in front of the dwarf with the door opening and a Wood Elf asking, “Where you are going long beard?”

Icarus climbed in saying, “The Bounty Hunter Guild.”

                “Ah,” The elf nodded eyeing him a little and then told him, “that’s the bad part of town.”

                “Looks like every part of this town is bad,” Icarus said back to him.

                The elf laughed. “You are right about that my friend, to the Bounty Hunter Guild.”